Did you know that the size of your pores is closely linked to your skin type? For example, oily skin types most likely have larger pores, while dry skin types have smaller pores. Regardless of what skin type you have, one thing is for certain: your pores will get clogged if you’re not washing your face properly. Today, we’ll be sharing with you our tips to get rid of large pores on your face.
What are Pores?
Pores are little openings on your skin and contain hair follicles and sebaceous glands (otherwise known as sebum!) which produce oil to help lubricate the follicle. This natural oil helps to protect skin from harmful environmental factors, nourishes the skin with nutrients, and contains proteins, fats, cholesterol, and inorganic salts.
Depending on your skin type, the amount of oil being produced can vary greatly. If you have oily skin type, you are among those who produce more sebum than people with dry skin. The only issue with this is that with the overproduction of oil, your pores are at a somewhat higher risk of getting clogged due to its large size, eventually filling up with dirt and residue to form a breakout.
To combat this you will need to cleanse your face often to wash away dead skin and dirt that lie on the surface of the skin, as well as helping to maintain healthy levels of sebum production.
How to cleanse your face the right way?
In order to understand what is the right way to cleanse your face, we need to understand how pores work.
Despite the myth of “opening and closing pores”, pores actually expand or contract according to temperature changes. In hotter temperatures, humidity, or right after a sweaty workout session, you are raising your body temperature thus the skin’s pores expand, which make them seem like they’re “open”. When you are exposed to the cold, like taking a cold shower or putting on toner, the pores contract and appear smaller.
Get Rid of Large Pores by Cleansing the face
1. Deep Cleansing
Deep cleansing prevents the pores from getting clogged by sebum, debris and dead skin that may have formed throughout the day.
Start off by cleansing the skin with an oil-based cleanser. Oil attracts oil, and so using oil cleansers or makeup removers will draw out the dirt that is attached to the oils on your face. This might not be achieved by using just a water-based cleanser, as oil and water don’t mix.
After rinsing off the oil-based cleanser, wash your face again with a gentle water-based cleanser to ensure that any remaining debris is washed away. This effective two-step process is also known as double cleansing.
2. Mask
Follow up with a clay mask to help control sebum production and exfoliate and draw out any impurities that are still lurking down in the pores. Spread an even layer of the mask onto your face and wait for it to dry. Afterward, rinse and wash off the mask.
Make sure you follow the mask’s instructions on how long the mask stays on because prolonged usage will actually reverse the mask’s effects and end up stripping drying out your skin, leading to more oil production.
3. Tone
After cleansing, it’s good to follow up with a toner. Toners help to clean and minimize pores, gives a slight cooling effect, and help prep the skin for the next steps of skincare.
4. Extract
Using a sterilized extraction tool, gently press on the skin, hook side sideways to remove any blackheads, whiteheads, or excess sebum clogging up the pores.
Get Rid of Large Pores with Makeup
There are many different ways of applying foundation and powder to help minimize the look of your pores, but here are a few steps you can take to help you get started.
1. Use a Foundation Brush
Use a foundation brush to spread your foundation evenly onto your skin and buff in a circular motion. Make sure not to use long swiping motions when spreading the foundation because this tends to leave the pores exposed and uncovered, accentuating their existence even more.
If your skin skews towards the more sensitive side, look out for foundations containing mica, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and lanolin, as they are known to clog pores and thereby lead to more breakouts.
2. Set the Foundation
To put simply, the shinier your face, the more pronounced your pores will look. Focus on patting down your T-Zone with a translucent powder to help flatten the appearance of pores to achieve a flawless and airbrushed effect.
When you don’t set your makeup, throughout the day sebum will seep through and make your face look like a stick of butter with the foundation slipping and sliding around your face. Not cute.
So that’s all there is to it! It may seem intimidating and daunting to have large pores, but there are fortunately many ways of masking the appearance as they are. Or, you can choose to embrace your large pores and thank your body for doing its job.
For more tips on minimizing large pores, check out our full video: Minimize Large Pores to Reduce Acne 🔬🌋 PORES + ACNE UNDER A MICROSCOPE
